When it comes to booking airfare, it's usually a swamp that you have to wade through. There are dozens of travel websites that offer discounts; different airlines that offer a wide array of plane ticket prices; and many combinations of connecting flights to get to where you're going. In short, buying airline tickets can be a stressful and, frankly, unpleasant experience.

However, if you're looking for an airline that can take the stress off of you, it's Southwest Airlines. Not only do they regularly provide discounts on flights (as well as really cheap flights in general), they offer many ticket options that can save you a lot of money.

One of these is the "Wanna Get Away" fare and if your budget is a little tight, it's the option for you!

Southwest Airlines Has A Knack For Bargains

Every flier appreciates an airline that can cater to a tighter budget. It's even better if those budget airlines can deliver. And South West seems to have mastered that! Besides its customer-friendly regulations and accommodating luggage policies, the airline is known for its budget-friendly airfare. Earlier in October of this year, Southwest released ridiculously cheap one-way flights.

How cheap, you ask? The flights were as low as $39! As long as you followed the stipulation that you had to buy your tickets two weeks in advance, you could take advantage of flights such as Atlanta-Nashville, and Oahu-Maui for less than $50! Even the slightly more popular flights, like L.A-Vegas or L.A.-Chicago, were under $60.

The holiday season can get expensive and more than a little busy, particularly around American Thanksgiving and Christmas. But these cheap flights can at least alleviate a little bit of that stress.

Points, Points, And More Points!

Southwest Airlines offers four different types of airfare: Business Select, Anybody, Wanna Get Away and Senior fares. Out of these three, as mentioned earlier, Wanna Get Away is the cheapest one.

No matter which of the Southwest airfare that you choose (Business, Anybody, Wanna Get Away or Senior), you always have opportunities to gain points. For Wanna Get Away, the rate is 6 points for every dollar that you spend. This can be especially useful when Southwest releases one of their famous "flash deals" which, as mentioned earlier, are short flights at bargain prices.

Over time, these "Rapid Rewards" can make you eligible to earn A-List. Besides allowing you to accumulate even more "Rapid Reward" points (7.5 points for every dollar, to be exact), you can get some pretty sweet deals as an A-list flyer on Southwest. You can get priority boarding, as well as priority security and check-in lines.

If you're a points collecting addict, being an A-lister means that you can earn 25% more points. The coolest benefit, however, is that you get free same-day standby. That means that, should there be a more convenient flight available, you have a chance at getting your flight without an additional charge. Having said that, we recommend that you read all of the available fine print and documentation to make sure that you understand everything.

Last-Minute Changes? No Problem!

We'll say it right off the bat: one of the downfalls of Wanna Get Away fare is that they're non-refundable. If you're interested in this option, we recommend that you are 100% sure of your travel dates before doing any bookings.

Having said that, their cancellation and flight change policies are very customer-friendly. If you need to change your flight, as long as it's one hour before your scheduled flight, you're all set.

If you need to cancel, unlike the other fares, you won't receive a refund. However, you'll receive a travel credit that you can use on future travels with Southwest. But be warned: it's for the original customer only! If you want to get travel credit for others, you can look into getting a LUV Voucher.

Extras And Everything Else!

One of the things you need to know about Southwest is that "generous" is an understatement for their luggage policy. You're allowed to check two bags... FOR FREE! Even if you choose the Wanna Get Away fare, this rule still applies. To all of your chronic over packers, your savior is here!

If you're one of Southwest's frequent flyers, you have the option of buying the Companion Pass. This allows for a lucky someone to fly with you for free for up to two years. We recommend this option to both the budget-conscious and the generous flyer.

There are even opportunities to upgrade to Business Select. This option is usually available on shorter routes. People mainly choose this upgrade so that they can get their first pick of seats on the plane. To sweeten the deal, the price for the upgrade is only between $30-50. Is it worth it? Well, we leave that decision up to you!